Kimloon
}} }} |common_name = Kimloon |native_name = |image_flag = Flag of Kimloon.png |image_coat = Coat of arms of Kimloon.png |national_motto = "Open Nation and do Enterprising" 開國進取 Kaikoku Shinshu Kāiguó Jìnqǔ |national_anthem = "New Spirit" 新精神 Shin Seishin Xīn Jīngshén |status = Limited recognition |image_map = Location Kimloon.png |capital = Kimloon (city-state) |largest_settlement_type = PA |largest_settlement= Central Ikeshima |official_languages = English Japanese Chinese |languages2_type = Official scripts |languages2 = Latin Kyūjitai Kana Hanzi |languages2_sub = |ethnic_groups = 50.1% Japanese 41.1% Chinese 8.8% other |demonym = Kimloonese |government_type = Unitary parliamentary republic |leader_title1 = President |leader_name1 = Yukio Iwai |leader_title2 = Prime Minister |leader_name2 = Ma Chen-ying |leader_title3 = Speaker of the Parliament |leader_name3 = Seiji Hayashi |leader_title4 = Chief Justice |leader_name4 = Toshio Doi |legislature = Parliament |sovereignty_type = Independence |sovereignty_note = from Japan |established_event1 = Independence of Kimloon |established_date1 = 27 December 2017 |area_km2 = 1.42 |area_rank = |area_sq_mi = |percent_water = |population_census = 160 |population_census_year = |population_census_rank = |population_density_km2 = |population_density_sq_mi= |population_density_rank = |GDP_PPP = |GDP_PPP_year = |GDP_PPP_rank = |GDP_PPP_per_capita = |GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = |GDP_nominal= |GDP_nominal_year = |GDP_nominal_rank = |GDP_nominal_per_capita = |GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = |Gini = |Gini_year = |Gini_change = |Gini_ref = |Gini_rank = |HDI = |HDI_year = |HDI_change = |HDI_ref = |HDI_rank = |currency = Kimloon dollar |currency_code = KLD |time_zone = KLST |utc_offset = +9 |utc_offset_DST= |time_zone_DST = |date_format = dd-mm-yyyy yyyy年m月d日 |drives_on = left |calling_code = +81 |cctld = .kl .金龍 |footnote_a = |area_magnitude = |country_code = KL }} Kimloon, officially the Nation of Kimloon and formerly known as Ikeshima, is a sovereign city-state and island microstate in East Asia subregion. It lies on the southernmost tip of the Japanese archipelago, with the Ryukyu Islands to the southeast. The country's neighbours include Japan to the northeast and southeast, South Korea to the northwest, and China to the west. Kimloon's territory consists of the main inhabited island with its surrounding uninhabited islands. Since independence, extensive land reclamation has increased, and its greening policy has covered the densely populated island with tropical flora, parks and gardens. The country is a multiethnic society encompassing a variety of cultures, languages, and religions from China and Japan. Its pluralistic makeup is reflected in the constitution's recognition of three official languages. One of these languages are of European origin: English is commonly used in public and commercial life, although Japanese is spoken as the native tongue by just over half of the Kimloonese people, with 50.1% of the population using it as their home language. The country is often considered the "Rainbow Micronation" to describe Kimloon's multicultural diversity. Kimloon is one of the few in Asia never to have had a coup d'état, and regular elections have been held since the establishment of the country. The government system is modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system and the legal system is based on common law. Queen Elizabeth II is the country's head of state and is represented by a governor-general, currently Sir Yukio Iwai. The monarchy is mostly ceremonial and de facto executive authority is exercised by the Cabinet, led by the Prime Minister, who is currently Ma Chen-ying. The Kimloon Independence Party has won every election since independence in December 2017. The dominance of the KIP, coupled with a low level of press freedom and restrictions on civil liberties and political rights, has led to Kimloon being classified by some as a semi-authoritarian regime. Etymology The source of the romanised name is not known, but it is generally believed to be an early imprecise phonetic rendering of the spoken Hokkien pronunciation of 金龍 (Hokkien: kim liông). The Sino-Japanese word for Kimloon is 金龍, which is pronounced Kinryū in Japanese and Jīnlóng in Chinese which literally means "the Golden Dragon". The character 金 (Japanese: kin; Chinese: jīn) means "gold"; 龍 (Japanese: ryū; Chinese: lóng) means "dragon". The compound therefore means "Golden Dragon" and is the source of the popular Western epithet "Land of the Golden Dragon". Before independence, the largest island was known by the Japanese name "Ikeshima" (Japanese: 池島), when it was part of Nagasaki in Japan. The Ikeshima was dramatically transformed in 1959 upon the discovery of an abundance of coal beneath its surrounding waters, until it became increasingly abandoned in 2001. In 2017, the island and its surrounding islets became unified as one independent city-state under the name "Kimloon". The official name of the modern state is the "Nation of Kimloon" (金龍國; Japanese: Kinryū-koku; Chinese: Jīnlóng-guó). History Prehistory Kimloon was first inhabited by the Japanese with the population of approximately 300 people, as part of Nagasaki. A small fishing village set in a secluded harbor, Nagasaki had little historical significance until contact with Portuguese explorers in 1543. The little harbor village quickly grew into a diverse port city, and Portuguese products imported through Nagasaki (such as tobacco, bread, textiles and a Portuguese sponge-cake called castellas) were assimilated into popular Japanese culture; one of Kimloon's popular dishes today. The Portuguese also brought with them many goods from China. The Tōjinyashiki (唐人屋敷) or Chinese Factory was also an important conduit for Chinese goods and information for the Japanese market. Various colourful Chinese merchants and artists sailed between the Chinese mainland and Nagasaki-controlled Kimloon. Some actually combined the roles of merchant and artist such as 18th century Yi Hai. It is believed that as much as one-third of the population at this time may have been Chinese. With the Meiji Restoration, Japan opened its doors once again to foreign trade and diplomatic relations. Nagasaki became a free port in 1859 and modernisation began in earnest in 1868. Nagasaki was officially proclaimed a city on 1 April 1889, with the present-day territory of Kimloon as part of it. Kimloon, then known as Ikehsima Island, and Hashima Island became a centre of heavy industry under control of the Mitsubishi company becoming one of the prime contractors for the Imperial Japanese Navy, and with Nagasaki harbor used as an anchorage under the control of nearby Sasebo Naval District. Beginning in the 1930s and until the end of the Second World War, Korean conscripted civilians and Chinese prisoners of war were forced to work under very harsh conditions and brutal treatment at the Mitsubishi facility as forced labourers under Japanese wartime mobilisation policies. During this period, it is estimated that about 1,300 of those conscripted labourers had died on the island due to various reasons including underground accidents, exhaustion and malnutrition. |publisher=Prof. Tojo, Nobumasa }}]]After the Second World War, the engineers and geologists and technicians from Mitsui Matsushima, and the company began buying up the island; to this day it still owns more than half of it. The tiny island of then known as Ikeshima was dramatically transformed in 1959 upon the discovery of an abundance of coal beneath its surrounding waters. A large underground mine was developed along with several factories and living quarters which catered to the islands bustling population. It opened in the teeth of mine closures across the rest of the country, as the Japanese government’s energy policy mandated a shift from coal to oil, but against the odds it prospered for a while. At its 1970 zenith the island, four kilometres in circumference, was home to some 8,000 miners, their families, and the tradespeople that fed off them in symbiosis, making it about as densely populated as any place on earth. But years later in 2001, cheaper coal imports from overseas led to the mines decommissioning and, eventually, the permanent closure of Nagasaki’s last island-based coal mine. Commercial mining began in 1959, with Ikeshima turning out to be the last coal mine to open its shafts in Japan. Like the famous Gunkanjima, Ikeshima flourished as coal mining island. The island's population, once over 8000, has dwindled down to approximately 150 leaving entire building blocks abandoned to be reclaimed by nature. There are no longer students attending the junior high school and only two students, siblings, left at the almost deserted elementary school. Ikeshima’s only active amenities were one shop, a very small civic centre, a school that operated for a tiny number of students and an abundance of abandoned buildings. A few foreign workers were sent to this island for training purposes. They were probably mainly from Vietnam and Indonesia, hence the respective languages in addition to Japanese in the “No Trespassing” sign below. The Ikeshima’s disused 300-meter-deep mine was opened for tourism, the island had seen a small number of people visiting the island. Independence After years of neglect, Ikeshima Island and its surrounding islands unified and declared independence as the Nation of Kimloon on 27 December 2017 with Ma Chen-ying as the prime minister. Rather than becoming a British Overseas Territories, the Government of Kimloon decided to become a member state of the British Commonwealth of Micronations. To create an air of legitimacy, the Head of the Commonwealth, Elizabeth II, was installed as the head of state for Kimloon. Sir Yukio Iwai was appointed as the governor-general by the cabinet to represent the queen. Government and politics ]]Kimloon is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy with a Westminster system of unicameral parliamentary government representing constituencies. Elizabeth II is the Queen of Kimloon and the head of state, her reign in Kimloon is unrecognised by herself. The Queen is represented by the Governor-General, whom is appointed by the cabinet. The Governor-General can exercise the Crown's prerogative powers, such as reviewing cases of injustice and making appointments of ministers, ambassadors and other key public officials, and in rare situations, the reserve powers (e.g. the power to dissolve Parliament or refuse the Royal Assent of a bill into law). The powers of the Queen and the Governor-General are limited by constitutional constraints and they cannot normally be exercised without the advice of ministers. The Parliament of Kimloon holds legislative power. The supremacy of Parliament, over the Crown and other government institutions, was established in England by the Bill of Rights 1689 and has been ratified as law in Kimloon. The Parliament is democratically elected and a government is formed from the party or coalition with the majority of seats. If no majority is formed, a minority government can be formed if support from other parties during confidence and supply votes is assured. The Governor-General appoints ministers under advice from the Prime Minister, who is by convention the parliamentary leader of the governing party or coalition. The Cabinet, formed by ministers and led by the Prime Minister, is the highest policy-making body in government and responsible for deciding significant government actions. Members of Cabinet make major decisions collectively, and are therefore collectively responsible for the consequences of these decisions. A parliamentary general election must be called no later than three years after the previous election. Almost all general elections since 2017 were held under the first-past-the-post voting system. The legal system of Kimloon is based on English common law, but with substantial local differences. Kimloon's judiciary, headed by the Chief Justice, includes the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, the High Court, and subordinate courts. Judges and judicial officers are appointed non-politically and under strict rules regarding tenure to help maintain judicial independence. This theoretically allows the judiciary to interpret the law based solely on the legislation enacted by Parliament without other influences on their decisions. Kimloon has penalties that include judicial corporal punishment in the form of caning, which may be imposed for such offences as rape, rioting, vandalism, and certain immigration offences. There is punishment such as external exile for murder, as well as for certain aggravated drug-trafficking and firearms offences. Kimloon's unique combination of a strong almost authoritarian government with an emphasis on meritocracy and good governance is known as the "Kimloon example", and is regarded as a key factor behind Kimloon's political stability, economic growth, and harmonious social order. All public gatherings of five or more people require police permits, and protests may legally be held only at the Speakers' Corner. Foreign relations and defence ]]Since independence proclaimed in 2017, the foreign policy of Kimloon has been complicated due to lack of recognition in the international community. However, the country participates in inter-micronational organisations and maintains diplomatic relations with entities that are non-UN member-states. As one of the founding members of the East Asia Union (EAU), it is a strong supporter of the East Asia Free Trade Area (EAFTA) and the East Asia Investment Area, because Kimloon's economy is closely linked to that of the region as a whole. Prime Minister Ma Chen-ying proposed the formation of an East Asia Economic Community, a step beyond the current EAFTA, bringing it closer to a single market. Other regional organisations are important to Kimloon, and it is the host of the EAU Secretariat. Kimloon maintains membership in other organisations, such as the Commonwealth of Micronations. The Kimloon Defence Force (KDF) serves as the country's military and is responsible for protecting the sovereignty of Kimloon. The KDF, with the Kimloon National Coast Guard and the Immigration Department, is a department of the Ministry of Defence and Immigration. Under the Defence Act, the KDF has been mandated, in the name of the Queen, to defend the Kimloon, protect its territorial integrity, patrol its waters, provide assistance and relief in times of disaster, maintain order in conjunction with the law enforcement agencies of the Bahamas, and carry out any such duties as determined by the National Security Council. The Defence Force is also a member of the East Asia Union's Regional Security Task Force. The KDF came into existence on 14 February 2018. Their duties include defending Kimloon, stopping drug smuggling, illegal immigration and poaching, and providing assistance to mariners. Geography The territory of Kimloon consists three islands, including the main island, Ikeshima, lying on the southernmost tip of the Japanese archipelago. The city-state is surrounded by the East China Sea on the south and west, with the Sea of Japan on the northwest, and borders the Japanese city of Nagasaki to the north over the Kimloon Strait. Kimloon claims territorial waters to a distance of 3 nautical miles (5.6 km). Its land area makes Kimloon the 195th largest inhabited city-state, smaller than Monaco and larger than Vatican City. There is little level ground in Kimloon, many hills and mountainsides at lower elevations around towns and cities are often cultivated. Less than 25% of the territory's landmass is developed, while the majority is grassland, woodland, shrubland, and agricultural land. As Kimloon is situated in a volcanic zone along the Pacific deeps, frequent low-intensity earth tremors and occasional volcanic activity are felt throughout the islands. Destructive earthquakes occur several times a century. Despite Kimloon's intense urbanisation, it has tried to promote a green environment, and recent growing public concern has prompted the severe restriction of further land reclamation from the harbour. Biodiversity Climate Kimloon has the typical humid subtropical climate of Kyūshū and Honshū, characterised by mild winters and long, hot, and humid summers. Apart from Kanazawa and Shizuoka it is the wettest region in the Japanese archipelago and indeed all of temperate Eurasia. In the summer, the combination of persistent heat and high humidity results in unpleasant conditions, with wet-bulb temperatures sometimes reaching 26 °C (79 °F). In the winter, however, Nagasaki is drier and sunnier than Gotō to the west, and temperatures are slightly milder than further inland in Kyūshū. Since records began in 1878 the wettest month has been July 1982 with 1,178 millimetres (46 in) including 555 millimetres (21.9 in) in a single day, whilst the driest month has been September 1967 with 1.8 millimetres (0.07 in). Precipitation occurs year-round, though winter is the driest season; rainfall peaks sharply in June & July. August is the warmest month of the year. On January 24, 2016, a snowfall of 17 centimetres (6.7 in) was recorded. Economy Demographics Religion Languages Education Health Culture Architecture Art Cuisine Holidays and festivals Sports Media See also Notes